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January 2, 2003
MARCO ISLAND -- The Salvation Army will not accept a $100,000 donation from a Florida Lotto winner because some officials question receiving money associated with a form of gambling, the group said.
David L. Rush, 71, who said he has made donations -- albeit smaller ones -- to the Salvation Army for 40 years, announced Dec. 26 that he intended to give the organization the large gift. Rush accepted a check for $14,281,243.70 from Florida Lottery officials last month.
But Maj. Cleo Damon, head of the Salvation Army office in Naples, told Rush on Friday that he could not accept his money and returned the check that another official had accepted at a luncheon the day before.
"There are times where Maj. Damon is counseling families who are about to become homeless because of gambling," said spokeswoman Maribeth Shanahan. "He really believes that if he had accepted the money, he would be talking out of both sides of his mouth."
Rush also donated $100,000 to Habitat for Humanity and $50,000 to the Rotary Club of Marco Island. Both groups accepted the gifts.
"Everybody has a right to be sanctimonious if they want to be," Rush said. "I respect the Salvation Army's decision. I do not agree with it, but that is their prerogative."